Glossary

Motifs

short melodies or rhythms that can be used in many ways

Thematic development/melodic theme

using a melody or theme in many ways or contexts, such as changing the tempo and changing the instrument

Phrase

a musical sentence or idea

Instrumentation

a list of the instruments playing in a piece

Cue (film music)

a piece of music to play during a film scene

Montage scene/incidental conversations

several short film scenes cut and pasted back-to-back; one continuous piece of music is often used to smooth the cuts

Story arc

the structure of a storyline, including the climax

Glossary

DAW

digital audio workstation; computer software for recording and/or editing music and sounds

Time code

indicates the exact time location in a piece of music or film

Out-of-the-box

included free in the software

Bowed

stringed instruments producing notes with a bow made from horsehair and wood

Fine cut

version of a film in between rough cut and the final, locked edit; incorporates some music and sound effects as well as some careful editing of visuals and frames

Locked edit

version of a film once the visuals have been finalised, ready for sound

Accompaniment

music that supports a melody or main tune

Acoustic instruments

any instrument played without electricity or amplification

Audition

try-outs for a position in the cast or crew of the film

Harmony

chords or countermelody that support a melody

Score (film score)

original music used in a film

Soft synth

sounds produced in digital music software

Mock-up

draft using sample materials

Notation

musical notes and symbols written on a staff consisting of 5 parallel lines

Score in Pro Tools

musical notation view feature in Pro Tools audio editing software

Midi roll (piano roll)

digital input of musical notes, not requiring traditional notation

Sampled (a magpie)

recording a sound in order to edit it

Filters

software feature that cuts out a small selection of audio frequencies

Equalisation (EQ)

adjust the volume of different frequencies to create a purer sound

Time stretch

make music fit the timing of a scene

Found sound

a recording of nature or non-musical sound (for example a lawn mower)

Rough cut

version of a film before the final, locked edit; incorporates some music and sound effects as well as some careful editing of visuals and frames

Re-conform

re-configure music to allow for changes in film edit (for example changes made from rough cut to fine cut)

Animatics

sketches of scenes (to be animated or drawn)

Soundscape

musical noises and/or environmental sounds without rigid structure or detailed planning

Soundtrack

a list of musical pieces used in a film; some tracks might be composed especially for the film (the score)

Temp music

a musical track chosen by the director or producer as backing music for a film scene, to act as a guide for the composer to create music of a similar mood

• What is a melodic theme?
• What is a motif in music?
• Describe the theme and variations approach to film scoring.
• What is the purpose and function of music in a film?
• How does music assist the flow of a montage scene?
• List 3 DAWs (digital audio workstations) commonly used to compose film music.
• What are soft synths?
• How does consideration of a budget affect the approach to film music composition?

• How did Me-Lee Hay use a radio harp in an unusual way?
• Give an example of how smart phones might be used to sample sounds.
• Why is it worth saving and filing every sound experiment and recording that you have made, even the ones you’re unhappy with?
• At what stage of the film production process does a composer commonly start their work on a short film?
• What is the meaning of re-conform?
• What is the process for composing music for an animation?
• When discussing ideas for a score with a film director, what type of language should the composer use?
• True or false: composers work in isolation when working on film music.